José Valencia and Carmen Grilo, cantaores. Interview

“Flamenco evolves because
each artist contributes his own personality”

Silvia Calado. Mont de Marsan, July 2005
Translation: Joseph Kopec

There's no hint flamenco is going to disappear. On the contrary, the list of cantaores keeps on growing. Having passed the subject of accompaniment with flying colors, new voices take on the challenge of going solo. And that's just the case of José Valencia and Carmen Grilo, who went that route at the 2005 Mont de Marsan Festival. With experience under their belts together with the top baile and toque maestros, reflected in numerous mirrors, firm in their intention not to seem like anyone else, they courageously face up to the starring role which will allow them “to express what you really feel”. That's exactly what happened at the French festival, where both of them gave it their all, bringing the demanding crowd at the Singing Café to their feet.

José Valencia (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

What difference do you feel when you sing solo?

Carmen Grilo. I think when you're singing at the back, you're a little limited; you're doing what you're told to do. But when you stand up there solo before an audience and you have to grab the bull by the horns, you have to do what you truly feel, what you truly think.

José Valencia. It's you alone against all the elements. And the really good thing about it is that you can do what you want to as you please; you're not limited to any patterns like you're marked in baile. And the truth is it's a risk that really satisfies me; I feel great pleasure.

Carmen, you've just lent your voice to the complex work of Manolo Sanlúcar. What did you get out of that experience for your cante?

C.G. I think I've learned a great deal with maestro Manolo Sanlúcar; especially to express myself, to know how to act on stage. With him, really, it's as if I were singing up front. It's not like when you're at the back singing for baile; it's as if you were up front. You're also limited to what he tells you, but I think you express yourself better there.

José, you've done quite varied things, you've found yourself in the most diverse roles. What have those experiences contributed to your cante?

J.V. You're at the university stage now; you're doing your last terms in order to go out and tackle life on your own. We're young and that really brings you your future career as a person as well. The artists you work with and the type of work you do with each artist have a great influence on you. Everything changes depending on which artist it is and each one makes you see things from an entirely different perspective, which you have to adapt to. When you perform solo, like Carmen and I today, it gives you the chance to try and fill up a bit of space and say here I am, this is me, with nothing in front of you.

The two of you come from strong cante traditions; Jerez and Lebrija. How have they influenced you?

C.G. Jerez in particular doesn't really influence me. The lifestyle influences me, the way of feeling. But I might just as well study Jerez, as study something else. It's all the same to me. I like to listen to and understand each person's ways. It's not a question of my focusing on Jerez just because I live in Jerez.

Carmen Grilo (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

J.V. In my case, I've been through a different time to Carmen's. You learn from everything. You're influenced by everything. The most enduring time in life is your childhood and that's always been obvious, very marked. Afterwards you have to develop it and keep on learning, but the first stage is the one that marks you, your life and your way of doing things.

What are your main references? Do you study old-time cantaores?

C.G. I really study quite a bit, especially old-time cantaores. I don't like seeming like anyone else. I listen to a lot of old-time artists and afterwards I try and transfer it, I try and make it personal and sing it the way I feel it.

J.V. I don't know what to say. Everything's good. Our reference is flamenco from the past and that flamenco isn't old-time; the people, the periods, the times are old-time. That's the flamenco that's always been around and still exists; it's the reference we have.

	José Valencia (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

As cantaores starting to take off solo, what goals do you have?

J.V. The only project I have is to keep on doing what I like, which is singing. I don't consider it a job; I consider it a hobby... I feel lucky to be able to do what I like.

C.G. When I sing I do it because I enjoy it, not because it's a job I have to do out of obligation. I sing because it makes me feel good, because it lets me express what I feel.

J.V. And singing solo is really great, which is what a cantaor always aims for. But cante for baile and cante with collaborations, together with pianists, guitarists..., as long as it sounds flamenco and true, it's all nice.

There's a great deal of speculation about the future of cante. As young artists, what do you think about it?

J.V. They say flamenco's been disappearing over the years for a long time now and it still has the same force.

C.G. I don't think there's ever any way of knowing how flamenco's going to keep on evolving.

J.V. We're right in the middle of evolving. Flamenco's just been around in the world for two hundred years, that's all. And people come out and keep on doing the same patterns. It'll go on evolving because times change. Musically, we have more information about other types of music. And all of that's useful for us to be more cultured, to know more about our artform and to get to know it better.

Are you worried about contributing to that evolution?

J.V. Everyone contributes his own way. That's flamenco's true evolution. Each person sings a certain way; nobody seems like anybody else. And that's the nice thing about flamenco.

C.G. Flamenco evolves because everyone contributes his personality to it.

Carmen Grilo (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

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